Elara's POV
"Lily, can you promise me something?" I crouched down to meet her eyes as we stood just outside her classroom.
The five-year-old looked at me curiously, her pink backpack slightly too large for her small frame. "What, Mrs. Vance?"
"Could you not tell Cora that I brought you to school today?" I kept my voice gentle, trying not to betray my unease.
Lily's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Why not?"
I tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "It's just... it might make things complicated. It's grown-up stuff."
She nodded solemnly as if she understood the weight of adult complications. "Okay. I promise."
I smiled gratefully and stood up. "Thank you, sweetie."
After watching Lily skip into her classroom, I made my way to the teacher, Ms. Thompson.
"Ms. Thompson, I'm dropping Lily Hayes off today. Her mother had an early meeting."
The teacher nodded, jotting something down on her clipboard. "Of course, Mrs. Thorne—"